Rare Bird Sighting: Fork-tailed Flycatcher

November 7, 2016&nbsp

A very rare bird, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher, from South & Central America was discovered on M35 late Thursday, Nov. 3rd in the afternoon. By Saturday it was still foraging in the bushes along the bay and the word was out and birders from all across lower Michigan, the UP, Wisconsin and Illinois came to see and photograph it .

It gets it’s name from the flowing tail made up of two long feathers. These birds migrate in large flocks and very rarely will one get lost and made it’s way up the east coast. Because this bird is still seen in the same place for 4 days, one wonders how long it was here before it was noticed by a bird watcher traveling along the bay and how will it survive once the weather changes? As it’s name implies, it’s diet consists of insects and Neotropical birds who become lost and wander north can not make it through a Wisconsin or Michigan winter.